We saw an advertisement for the soft opening of Aka, Auckland’s largest and newest rooftop bar, on the weekend and thought, what the hell, and made a booking for Saturday night.
It’s on the 15th floor of the new Radisson RED in Lorne Street, Auckland city, and is set to fully open on May 1, 2026.
It’s positioned as Australasia’s largest outdoor rooftop dining space. With a capacity of 300 people, it aims to offer a unique blend of high-end gastronomy and vibrant social atmosphere in the heart of the city’s Midtown precinct.
We had booked early as it was a beautiful night, and thought it would be great to enjoy the view before dark. Walking in, the interior utilises a rich palette of deep reds, velvet, and marble, anchored by a central bar installation inspired by a modern cherry blossom canopy.
The space is large, with panoramic 260-degree views of the Auckland skyline and glimpses of the harbour through the buildings. It features a retractable roof, designed for year-round use regardless of the weather; however, it wasn’t open the evenings we were there, though I’m sure it would be spectacular.
Head Chef Edberg Loh, known for his work at iconic venues like Cafe Hanoi and Xuxu Dumpling Bar, leads the kitchen. The menu focuses on modern Asian fusion, with an emphasis on shared plates. Several dishes were unavailable, but that can be forgiven since it was the soft opening. However, our Double Pork Fried Rice, Crispy Pork Belly, and Wok Tossed Greens were all excellent. Our dumplings, Xiao Long Bao, Shanghai soup dumplings, with pork filling and ginger broth, were out of this world.
Our Shaking Beef was on the tough side. The Manager, eager to learn how we had enjoyed the food and service, immediately removed it from the bill.
All good so far, but the staff, oh the staff. There was a crowd of young staff hanging around, not quite sure what to do, who, unfortunately, had little training. The place was not busy, yet the service was almost non-existent. Questions about the menu were difficult to answer, let alone the wine list. A look of bewilderment smothered their beaming faces, and the manager was brought over to assist us.
When the doors open on May 1, and the place is buzzing with 300 guests, it will be mayhem, unless something changes between now and then. This would be a great shame, as this should be a grand opening of a wonderful venue in Auckland.
Aka will be open for lunch and dinner starting from 11:00 am daily.